Staff reporter

A veterinary practice in Whitnash has launched its annual Christmas pet food appeal to help feed dogs and cats over the festive period.

Heathcote Veterinary Centre, based in Heathcote Road in Whitnash, is asking people to donate dog and cat food which will benefit animals being looked after by the RSPCA and Cats Protection charities this winter.

Items of dog or cat food for the appeal, which will run over the entire festive period, can be left in appropriate containers in the surgery’s reception.

Heathcote has supported the two charities for more than ten years as part of its ongoing work in the community and head nurse Amanda Cousins is urging people to donate what they can.

Amanda said: “We have been running our annual food drive for as long as I can remember and both charities are always extremely grateful for our help.

“In the past, we’ve been really lucky that members of the public have been really generous and we’d love to see the appeal be as successful as always this winter.”

Both the RSPCA and Cats Protection find themselves under a lot of pressure to accommodate strays and other cats which are no longer able to be looked after by their previous owners. These are cared for in shelters until such time as permanent homes can be found.

Heathcote will again be supporting Cats Protection in its neutering campaign early in the New Year.

Amanda said: “It’s really important, for a number of reasons, for cat owners to get their pets neutered, none more so than to make a dent in the overpopulation of strays which are either roaming the streets, taken to animal charities or to vets.”

To find out more about either the Christmas food appeal or the Cats Protection neutering scheme, call Heathcote Veterinary Centre on 01926 337790, visit www.heathcotevets.co.uk or search for Heathcote Veterinary Centre on Facebook.